Solar energy for remote communities in Malawi and The Gambia

Damien Frame

• Partnership with Blantyre Polytechnic and the Govt of Malawi Dept of Energy

• Scottish Government International Development Fund

• Social and economic factors at the root of poor sustainability

• Capacity building, income generation and local support networks

• Community sensitization and education in run up to installation

• Energy Committee elected as community representatives and guardians of the system

Community Rural Electrification and Development

CRED

Improved sustainability through community empowerment

CRED

• 5 villages - 7 school and health post pilot installations – lights, AC power, fridges

• 100 mini home solar units distributed/sold• 5 x 10 member energy committees elected, trained and established• Support chain of field worker and local project management (Blantyre Poly)• Established process of data collection (socio-economic) – 14 months data

logged by committees and recorded by PMs

CRED

• Technical data collection and analysis underway – solar irradiation, system V/I/SOC

• 32,000 + hours of additional evening study• 3000+ hours of usefully lit rooms for study and community

meetings• MWK90,000+ earned from income generation (2,300+ phones

charged)

What next?

• Continue projects in Malawi and The Gambia – 17 installations so far.• More student activities?• Capture and disseminate results?• Supporting other organisations?• In country renewable energy courses?

‘A place of useful learning’

Founded in 1796 through the will of Professor John Anderson, Prof of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow

Left instructions in his will to create a second university in Glasgow which would focus on specialising in practical subjects –

"for the good of mankind and the improvement of science, and being a place of useful learning“

“to combine excellence with relevance and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in society, to social

cohesion and to the quality of life in Scotland, and in the wider national and global community”